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MasterChef The Professionals star Matt Tebbutt has reportedly been axed from presenting the show after just one series.
The Saturday Kitchen chef, 52, replaced Gregg Wallace as host of the 18th edition of the professional series, alongside Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti.
But Matt will reportedly not be returning to the series after show bosses decided they could ‘get away with just having Marcus and Monica at the helm’.
‘Three was a bit of a crowd,’ a source told The Sun.
The source went on to say that while Matt’s departure might confuse fans, he reportedly did nothing wrong and will likely return as a guest presenter.
‘He didn’t do anything wrong and will definitely come back to the series as a guest in the future,’ the source said.
‘But bosses simply realised that they could get away with just having Marcus and Monica at the helm, especially as their chemistry is great and they have a tight relationship.’
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Matt for comment.
A BBC Spokesperson said: ‘No decisions have been made yet about the presenting line up for the future series of MasterChef. We won’t comment on speculation.’
His rumoured departure comes despite fans heaping praise on him as he made his debut on the show last month – although viewers did suspect three hosts was too many.
Kicking off the premiere, Marcus introduced Matt to the show, saying: ‘Good to see you both, new competition, new kitchen and we have a new judge, welcome Matt!’
The TV presenter replied: ‘Thank you very much, great to be here, great to be a part of the MasterChef family’, while Marcus warned: ‘Strap yourself in Matt, this is going to be a journey.’
And viewers at home were quick to commend Matt’s first appearance on the programme, taking to social media to brand him ‘excellent’ and ‘a great addition to the kitchen’.
They raved: ‘Glad MasterChef The Professionals is back. Matt seems to fit in as the new judge,’; ‘Matt Tebbut is fab,’;
‘Found Matt Tebbutt to be a breath of fresh air,’; ‘How brilliant to see the excellent Matt Tebbutt instead of having to endure the vile shouty sleazy Eggggggggg,’;
‘I think Matt Tebbutt will fit in nicely, he’s popular with viewers and he knows his craft.’; ‘@matt_tebbutt is a great addition to the kitchen,’; ‘Aw yay Matt, I like him and unlike Gregg the t**t he’s actually talented’; ‘Loving new format and judge’.
‘Loving the new MasterChef lineup!! It’s been needing a revamp for years!’; ‘like matt tbf think he’ll be good for this show,’; ‘Just binge watched the entire weeks #mastercheftheprofessionals in one sitting. Just absolutely awesome and loved Matt on the show.’
However, while Matt’s performance was commended by fans, several viewers complained that having three judges on the show was overkill, declaring: ‘Too many judges spoil the MasterChef.’
They took to X to write: ‘Do they have three judges on this series of #masterchef so they have a spare ? Well, you never know…’; ‘Enjoying the new #mastercheftheprofessionals but not really sure what Matt Tebbutt is bringing to the party,’;
‘Why do they have three judges, and why are we watching the other guy giving a running commentary whilst he watches it in another room,’; ‘You know the saying “too many cooks spoil the broth”, that’s what’s going on with #Masterchef tonight. The format didn’t need to change.’
Speaking about his experience filming the series ahead of the premiere, Matt gushed: ‘It’s been a joy. I’ve loved every minute and these two next to me have been so supportive.
‘I’ve become so invested in the chefs and their progress and how they’ve changed throughout the series.’
He continued: ‘The thing that stood out for me was just how invested these chefs are and how much work goes into it for them outside of filming.
‘Their commitment was clear and it was also clear to see how much they changed from week one to week seven – the progression was, was enormous.
‘You could easily think of MasterChef that, yes, it’s just a TV show. But for these chefs, it’s so much more than that. There’s a lot at stake. And they take it very, very seriously. And it’s really good to see!’
